IRS Inspector Firm on One-Sided Targeting

Small Number Faced Extra Scrutiny, While All Tea-Party Applications Were Reviewed

By

John D. McKinnon

Updated June 27, 2013 8:05 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Internal Revenue Service employees flagged for extra scrutiny fewer than a third of progressive groups applying for tax exemptions from mid-2010 through mid-2012, compared with 100% of conservative applicants, an IRS inspector general said.

The new data, released in a letter to Democratic lawmakers that was dated Wednesday, appear to support Republicans' contention that conservative groups were subjected to more IRS...